Author
Topic: How's Retail In Your Area? (Read 1629 times)

Thought it might be interesting to see what people are seeing/finding/buying in their respective areas of the world. It seems like a kind of slow time right now, at least around here, and I suppose it will continue that way for a little while yet. Thanks to Amazon, I'm caught up with the VOTC, although I'd like to find another Chewie...and there isn't too much from the basic OTC line that I'm looking for either (mainly Gam. Guard, maybe a couple others), so I haven't been hunting quite as much lately. Anyways, here's how the stores around here look, the last time I was there:

Wal-Mart (1) - OTC Pegs stocked full, consisting mainly of Endor Generals and LOTS of Bespin Leias. A few other repacks here and there as well, from the beginning part of the line. Also still several vOTC Han, Obi, and Leias. Oh...and lightsabers, plenty of lightsabers. They have stocked Unleashed there, and I've seen Sidious, Hoth Luke, and the Bossk wave there on occasion.

Wal-Mart (2) - Been a week or two since I've visited, but last time they had several OTC Bossks, IG-88s, and Bespin Lukes. VOTC pegs were overflowing with the ANH wave (including Luke). No Unleashed there yet. Several of each of the carrying cases last time I checked.

Target (1) - Target has been pretty good this year around here, but the last weeks (months) have been pretty sparse. They basically had nothing out for the sale, and that trend continues. All I have seen there recently from the OTC line is Dagobah wave, Luke repacks, Han repack, and that is about it. VOTC Han used to hang out here, but has been cleared out. Saw one VOTC Vader there a week ago, which I saw a kid buy...was glad to see that. Unleashed is stocked pretty regularly.

Target (2) - Same story here. A few VOTC Hans and Obis. Not much of the OTC, but what there is consists mainly of Spirit Obi, repack Han, and Lobot...at least last I checked. Latest Unleashed wave seems to restock here pretty regularly as well.

**Also of note, both of the Targets in town have sold out of their Falcons. I was hoping for a big "red sticker" Target-style clearance on these, but unless there's more in back or on the way, looks like that might not happen**

TRU - Haven't been there for awhile, but was going to check today after work for the Bounty Hunter GH sets. Otherwise, the status quo: VOTC ANH wave, plenty of all the ships, some OTC figures (early waves), and plenty of Saga figures (Jabba's Palace and Yavin wave mainly).

KB Toys - Stopped here a week or so ago, although I don't know why. Basically a wasteland. Had about 5 OTC figures, priced at $7.99. Had Jawas (which I'd like to get), but I couldn't bring myself to pay $8 for them.

All in all, kind of a slow time right now figure-wise. I guess I can't complain, because I am somewhat caught up, and the wallet could use the break...but I wouldn't mind seeing the GH waves show up, and some more of the latter two VOTC waves as well. How are the stores looking in your area?

SilverZ

I've slowed down my hunting quite a bit in the last couple weeks now that I'm caught up. I was actually able to find all of the VOTC at retail, but that took a lot of hounding of employees to check stock to accomplish.

For regular OTC, the only reason I'm caught up is because of cases from EE, otherwise I'd be in a panic. The local TRUs never recieved ANY OTC inventory. Target has been hit or miss, but overall they've been the one place I've found the most variety of figures. Walmart has plenty of stock here, like you mentioned, but they seem to only get bulk of certain waves, and miss out entirely on others, so their variety sucks.

As far as exclusives, I've NEVER seen the Slave 1 on Target store shelves. It was dead easy to get them with a DPCI#, but if I wasn't using that method, I'd be SOL. My TRU is such a dump That I've ordered the Y-Wing from Amazon in case they never bother to put them out on the floor.

Overall I'm actually really annoyed at how piss-poor the retail stores have handled the line. Even though there's mostly rehashes this year, I've seen minimal effort to support (and profit) from one of the biggest DVD launches ever. It's pathetic to the point of embarrassment.

Overall I'm actually really annoyed at how piss-poor the retail stores have handled the line. Even though there's mostly rehashes this year, I've seen minimal effort to support (and profit) from one of the biggest DVD launches ever. It's pathetic to the point of embarrassment.

It's possibly worse here. Given that stores up here relatively seldom stock Star Wars toys, there is no way they would know what the rehashes are, so the support for the DVD release was beyond awful. Even those displays were gone within days.

As far as our retail goes, it depends entirely upon one's point of view. If you're an optimist, it's been pretty good - lots of OTC, though not the later waves, but they should show up in time, as we always lag behind the US anyway.

VOTC has been not too bad and has sold very, very well at a $17 pricepoint after the taxes are factored in. We're still getting the first two waves, so still hope for 3PO for me. Ben/Luke/Han are starting to clog the pegs, but not so much as I expected - yet. Even Vader and Yoda last more than a day now, but 3PO and Lando are quick to go. As will be the ROTJ wave when it finally arrives.

Ships have been a dead issue up here. No Target = no Slave I (thanks Jim). Vader's Tie is sitting and sitting and sitting. The X-wing and Tie have sold well, but TRU (the only retailer carrying ships) was more intelligent with those and ordered relatively few. The Falcon moved pretty well, but again, few brought in.

I only ever saw two OTC Lego Falcon's and I bought one, so not much that way. Apparently the Y-wing/Tie set showed up too, but I haven't picked it up yet, a set I still want/need.

Lightsabers have been a big surprise, selling very well, save Anakin's.

Unleashed moved very well too, except the case pack for Leia was an even split with Ben, who is now clogging the pegs to the extreme.

TRU foolishly brought in only the Falcon Galactic heros set. Too high a price point ($40) for that up here. They should have brought in the figures first to generate the interest

As far as particular stores go, it's been really hit and miss, as much depending on the store as it does the location of a particular store within a chain.

Walmart has been resoundingly pathetic, bringing in a single case per store every couple of weeks and only OTC at that. Nothing else.

TRU has been good with an assortment of stuff, OTC, VOTC, Unleashed, ships, lightsabers. They are paying the price for Hasbro's poor case assortments though - too many Bossk, IG-88, Dagobah figures for them to benefit.

Zellers has been weak for the most part. Some stores are carrying only the lightsabers and have had a single case of OTC

Superstore is ramping up big time for Christmas - OTC minimally, VOTC - the best source in Canada at this point, light sabers and now they are bringing in Animated clone wars figures Yup, it took that long for Canadian retailers to carry them I traded for two complete sets before we ever saw them. Pathetic.

The ANH VOTC are ALL OVER the place at Wal-Marts. Those things are bought, literally by the dozen at those stores. Who ever thought buying that many cases of one wave was a good idea needs to lose his/her job because that glut's gonna kill seeing VOTC ESB/ROTJ at Wal-Mart in my area I think, short of a surge of people buying those VOTC up that aren't avid collectors.

The ANH are only sporatically seen at any other store though, so that's good.

Most Targets haven't got more than 4 VOTC figures on the shelves total.

OTC's pegwarming with select figures... mostly the Luke's (all types), the repack bounty hunters, R2 (with wheels), Han Cantina (of course), Dago Wave, Bespin Wave remnants (CCP never sits, proving once again that Army builders always sell well for a longer period when they're done right), and that's about the OTC situation...

No OTC like the Stormtrooper, Scout trooper, TIE Pilot, Gam Guard, Jawas, or Tusken Raider, ever seems to sit for any ammount of time. The Army builders, once again, move. I've yet to see (ever) a Gam Guard, Bib Fortuna, imperial Trooper, or the Endor wave repacks. I'd like the Endor wave figs and Gam guards, but alas I'm hosed.

The figure cases sold incredibly well unless they went to the back rooms of Wal-Mart, because one WM here had at least 2 dozen of 3PO and 2 dozen of Vader, and now they have 2 of each at most. It's a big, high-traffic store, but I'm even in awe that they sold most of those through.

The little kiddie figures (Galactic Heroes or whatever) are everywhere. I mean, tons. I kinda wish they marketed these away from the other figures, but I digress.

TONS of OTC vehicles except the Slave I at Target. All the rest are out in abundance. TONS out there, none moving. I'll wait for clearances on anything I want, but what I want's extremely limited....

Beyond that, I think VOTC are a HUGE hit. $10 still moved figures... A mixed blessing. Only the ANH wave pegwarms, and it's arguably the worst wave overall AND it was also (as most 1st waves are) heavily overordered by some. K-Mart semi-did and Wal-Mart HORRIBLY did so. Only if ROTJ hits in that kinda mass will we all rejoice.

OTC's a mixed hit IMO. It's selling well, but bare in mind a lot of figures aren't evenly packed in it, a lot are "rare" in the first place (Endor wave), and the ones that shouldn't have been packed that most of us called Hasbro on in the first place are sitting just as we predicted.

one WM here even has one of every repack Cantina Han on their various cards. I **** you not, they have what is like a pseudo-retarded Darwinian evolutionary chart of that pile of **** that shouldn't have ever seen the light of day when they're releasing a vastly superior figure for $10 at the same time. Tell me more VOTC Hans wouldn't move if he was only available for $10, ya know?

The army builders, again, are moving. T hey're all pretty solid, even if I'm not fond of the Scout Trooper personally. It still moves. CCP though is proof that they move when done right, and Saga Hoth Rebel's proof they don't move when they're done terrible. I've got a Target here sporting a wall of Saga Hoth Rebels.

And on that note...

Saga still clogs the pegs. Some places have remnants of Star Destroyer and Yavin waves, though usually on Dodonna and Dengar, while other places have WALLS (Mostly Toys R Us stores) of the Hoth wave (R-3PO, Hoth Trooper, etc).

Not good... Then again, Toys R Us is the one with most Saga, and they've got Preview POTJ and POTJ Duros/Bespin Guards too... Though most BG's are gone now too, so kudos to him finally dwindling away from several Christmas's ago.

Retail isn't swift right now... That's the short of it. But there's empty pegs some places for some stuff, and WM's are often making OTC displays separate of the Saga repacked Jedi/Younglings they overordered, so they're sorta getting stuff in... though most is old OTC nobody needs now.

Anyone remember when it was the exlcusives you couldn't find? These days, OTC store exclusives seem to be the only SW product some of these places are getting (TRU, Target, I'm talking about you). It's completely backwards.

Ya know as more new stuff was being reported as being found in my neck of the woods in chicagoland, I expected to see new stuff, but really havent. Here's a quick rundown from a hunt i did last weekend.

Target #1: 2 VOTC Hans and several POTJ figures (they just did a redesign of the store)

Seems like a lot of people are seeing a glut or bare pegs problem in their area. Same ole here after checking this weekend. Plenty of ANH VOTC to go around (particularly at Wal-Mart and TRU, nothing at Target), and a little OTC here and there. The Wal-Mart nearest us was still packed with the Endor Generals and Bespin Leia OTC figures, Target had just a few OTC and no VOTC, and TRU has ANH VOTC and lots of old Saga stuff. Boring around here, nothing new.

Was quite pleased to find the last wave of OTC up here and on US card backs as well. Pleased, that is, until I noticed all of the corners had been deliberately bent I had an ANH Vader on US cardback in my hand and blah, ruined. I'll never understand that mentality.

Stores up here keep bringing stuff in, so that's good, and it sell well, so that's better. Unbelievably VOTC keeps coming in, predominantly ANH and it still sells There has to be a non-traditional market buying these. Some ESB showing up as well, but I keep missing 3PO Still have yet to see ROTJ wave locally, but I couldn't care less about it. I think between buying and trading I'm up to at least 3 of each and probably around 7-8 stormtroopers.

Switching more heavily to McFarlane Hunt Mode now, so if I act like more of a dink than usual, that's why

No, not yet. I think one showed in the wave at TRU with the bent cards, but it was already gone. I too would have bought it, bent or not.

Canada lags behind the US by a couple of weeks at least with respect to releases. At least that's a good general rule. Animated clone wars figures showed up last week for the first time so it's only in general the rule applies. As far as general OTC goes, we've seen #1-28 at retail thus far on the cruddy starburst cards. The later wave (snowtrooper, tusken, jawas) only showed up last week for the first time. Based on that, I'm expecting the later wave will be a week or three away at a minimum.

As an imperial army builder I'll be trying for multiples of these as well. I've tried a number of avenues to trade for them, but they certainly seem less commonly available at this point. I believe Hasbro has left them in only one assortment, so that could be a pain in the ass. On the bright side, Canada has been weird lately with getting some stuff the US sees very little of, so maybe this will be the next red ARC trooper

The Imperial Trooper though most dont like worries me that I wont find him in numbers. Suprisingly though I found 4 OTC Tuskens and 4 OTC Jawas on the pegs this weekend. Picked up one of each. These were not staying on the pegs round here but seem to be sitting now.

Yesterday I stopped by the "other" Target (further away from us, but newer) that I picked the Slave 1 up at 2 or 3 weeks ago. I used the DCPI number at the time to get it, and it still isn't on the shelves there. No signs of them at either Target in town, I wonder what they are waiting for. Maybe they'll have them out for Christmas. Also, no vOTC at all, at either store.

Stopped into TRU on the way to work since I had some time last night. They have VOTC figures, Han Ben & Luke's up your butt! None of the others yet. First time I seen them since I picked up mine long ago.